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One Rollicking Good Hour

Sometimes the best things come in small packages, or so my Mom used to tell me. I didn't quite believe this axiom when I was younger, but as I aged, I knew it could be possible. In fact, if you take this week's World Music Show (7/5), this saying rings true. The time alloted for the show this week is only one-hour (starting at 9:00 p.m.), which means I've got to pack a lot of punch into 59 minutes. Can it be done?

Of course it can!

Here's how: We'll dive into some new music from Spanish singer Bebe, as well as finish our trek through the new CD by Bossacucanova. Plus, we'll hear more new music from local band Bio Ritmo. And if that's not enough to fill an hour, they'll be plenty more tracks to spread out the love this hour.

First up will be some new music from the Spanish singer Bebe. This singer, who began playing guitar when she was eleven, is now one of Spain's biggest stars. At 16, she joined a pop group, then moved from her home in Valencia to Madrid. It's here that she toured the club circuit, both playing solo and with her group. During this time, too, she one several songwriting contests and collaborated with a number of important Spanish artists. This was all back in the late 90s. Fast forward to today and Bebe is still a strong force in the musical landscape. On her new CD, called "Un Pokito De Rocanrol," she shreds the ultra cool pop image she's developed and dons the cape of a guitar hero. And like that new CD from Bossacucanova, in which we've been playing it in its entirty, I may have to do the same thing for this her--since what I've heard so far is really good.

Speaking of Bossacucanova, we'll hear the last two tracks from their new CD, "Our Kind of Bossa," as the capper to Bebe's set--it'll be sort of like passing the World Music baton.

Four songs into this hour and it's time to crank up the volume even more. Staying within the Latin vibe, we'll hear more new music from the local band Bio Ritmo. Their new CD, "Puerta Del Sur," just hit the shelves (plus they just had a great record release party). They continue to explore and break the barriers of what is considered "Salsa" music.

"Our mission from day one was to write original music in the classic salsa style," says Bio Ritmo lead singer and composer Rei Alvarez, "and experimentation is as much a part of the tradition as the wide-ranging Afro-Cuban genres that it's based on."

Off their CD, we'll hear the song "La Via." Paired with them will be some music that is both "new" and "old." Before you ding me for those odd quotation marks, let me explain. On the new CD, called "The Brazil Connection," we'll hear some new redos or revamps of some classic pop tunes. The revamping, if you can't figure that out, is that the producers have taken songs such as Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," and The Isley Brothers "It's Your Thing," and infused some talented Brazilian musicians inside the songs, like their intertwined. It's kind of a cool take on these songs.

From there, we'll ditch the Latin bug that always seem to bite (well, almost--it may crop up again) to hear some live music from Austin, Texas. On our sister TV-side, PBS, there's a cool show called Austin City Limits. This program has been known to get some really stellar acts, including this guy: David Byrne. He appeared back in 2001 right after his "Look into the Eyeball" CD was released. Two songs we'll hear from this performance are "Marching Through Wilderness," and one of his many retakes of a Talking Heads song--this one is "This Must Be the Place." Piggy-backing on Byrne will be a track from Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros called "Bhindi Bhagee."

To close out this quick show will be a couple of fun songs in the Ska and Dub genre. However, they won't be done by your "typical" Ska and Dub artists. We'll hear from The English Beat as well as from the Beastie Boys--I'll let you figure out which style they'll play.

Be sure to check out this World Music Show quickie this Saturday night at 9:00 p.m. on Richmond Public Radio, 88.9 WCVE or online via this site. Get show updates via Twitter @wcveworldmusic.